Issue 324 of Passenger Transport is published on November 1. Contents include: LEAD STORY Budget brings relief – and disappointment Chancellor faced criticism for raising England’s bus fare cap from £2 to £3 and increasing rail fares by 4.6% while retaining the 5p fuel duty cut NEWS...
Chancellor faced criticism for raising England’s bus fare cap from £2 to £3 and increasing rail fares by 4.6% while retaining the 5p fuel duty cut Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her first budget this week Rachel Reeves delivered her first budget this week with some positive news for...
Bus industry entrepreneur Bill Hiron has sold Eastern Transport Holdings, the parent of bus operators Stephensons and NIBS, to an employee trust Bill Hiron: ‘the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea’ Eastern Transport Holdings, the parent company of bus operators Stephensons of Essex...
We must now start to look towards the spending review in Spring and make a compelling case for investment in public transport We rely on good bus, rail and tram services and walking and cycling infrastructure I have just returned from a two-week break spent travelling through...
Our youth-focussed world overlooks the talent and experience of older workers, but right now we need them more than ever before Not long before Covid kicked off, I spent some time with a very amiable pension advisor who kindly pulled together several pensions I have during my unremarkable...
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered her first budget. There was some good news for public transport but disappointment too Chancellor Rachel Reeves on budget day So there we have it, Rachel Reeves’s first budget, and altogether rather less gloomy than what had been heavily signalled almost since...
Fiona Guthrie of RATP Dev Transit London was named ‘Best Project Manager’ at the pan-European Talent in Mobility Awards last month for her work on the Garage Life Programme. She explains how the project has helped new drivers feel quickly at home and boosted retention rates New drivers who...
Frank Thorpe, the MD of BYD’s UK bus business, makes the case for Chinese manufacturer in the face of calls to ‘Buy British’ The BD11 double decker – a 10.9-metre-long, 90-passenger bus designed and built entirely by BYD in China Lately, there has been much discussion about the...
The UK has been leading the way on zero-emission buses, but we must keep up the momentum A Stagecoach West Scotland electric midibus in Ayr By Tim Griffen The transition to zero-emission buses (ZEBs) in the UK, has been a big success story. The UK has been leading...
I’ve researched and written a new book about the future of Britain’s bus industry and the risks and opportunities that lie ahead. Here are some of my reflections Greater Manchester’s franchised Bee Network As so often in the past, any discussion about the bus industry’s future falls...
The National Transport Awards took place on October 3 in London and you can read all about the winners in this official Souvenir Brochure. Click on the image below to view National Transport Awards Book of Winners 2024. If you are viewing the site on a tablet or mobile device, tap here to...
Amid growing concerns for British bus builders, government hails £500m order for Wrightbus and announces UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel Transport secretary Louise Haigh Amid mounting political pressure to adopt a ‘Buy British’ rule in bus procurement, the government has announced a £500m electric bus order for Northern Ireland-based Wrightbus and plans to...
Women in Bus and Coach event champions diversity The Women in Bus and Coach Summit The second annual Women in Bus and Coach Summit was held in Manchester on October 8, bringing together industry leaders, stakeholders, frontline operators and advocates to celebrate the remarkable contributions of women across the bus, coach and community...
The European Mobility Expo revealed that our continental neighbours face similar challenges Fiona Guthrie (left) and fellow Talent in Mobility winners If you like trams you’ll LOVE Strasbourg. With a population of 860,000 across the conurbation, France’s eighth largest city is criss-crossed by multiple light rail and BRT lines. Visitors from UK cities...
Fragmentation and societal change have eroded the culture and commonality that bonded rail workers together, and it’s a shame How will TOCs like South Western be remembered? Last weekend, I watched the gripping Netflix documentary, Strike: An Uncivil War, about the 1984/5 miners’ strike. It was a fascinating watch, not least to...
I have attempted to collate everything I’ve seen, learned, read or heard during my time in the transport sector into 10 thoughts The 25th anniversary of my starting to work in and around transport passed me by earlier this year. I joined the Central Rail Users Consultative Committee (not a snappy title, I...
Campaign for Better Transport urges transport secretary to divert funding to public transport as CPT calls for ‘immediate decision’ on £2 bus fare cap Campaign for Better Transport has called for “large and unnecessary” road projects like the £9bn Lower Thames Crossing to be cancelled Ahead of this month’s budget, Campaign for Better...
A clear theme from the Labour Party conference was the growing demand for British bus manufacturers to be prioritised in public procurement Alexander Dennis, one of the UK’s largest bus producers, recently announced a consultation that could threaten 160 jobs in Scotland By Andrew Garnett Political pressure is mounting to adopt a ‘Buy...
The transport secretary has announced a ‘Rail Sale’ for early 2025. We need to be more radical in reducing costs and raising revenue Marketing from train operator Greater Anglia during this year’s ‘Great British Rail Sale’ In announcing the trajectory towards rail renationalisation on September 3, one footnote towards the end of...
The new government is pushing ahead with a bus franchising revolution, but there are potential pitfalls that must be avoided Franchising has already arrived in Greater Manchester There’s a buzz around buses right now, and it is all about franchising. We’ve seen the first application of the franchising legislation used in Greater...
Improving bus services requires more than a fare cap or a change of ownership – it’s all also about shelters, timetables and ticketing The Azores were beautiful – but the bus service was confusing There is no doubt that the almost universal £2 bus fare has been a great success in England...
Matthew Niblett and Sarah Kendall on how Covid accelerated changes in travel behaviour The threat of another pandemic has not disappeared and it is only a matter of time before we could face another global health crisis BY Matthew Niblett and Sarah Kendall Some four and half years have passed since the world...
The railway’s lost sense of community